Students in the master’s degree program in folklore and public culture may choose from two tracks with differing emphases.
- General Folklore Track: This track provides students with a strong foundation in folklore studies while also allowing students to take elective courses in their areas of focus.
- Public Folklore Track: This track prepares students who plan to work in the public sphere by building professional skills such as ethnographic research, documentation, grant writing, administration and programming.
General Folklore Track (63 Credits)
The General Folklore Track requires students to take specific classes from folklore and public culture program faculty in a variety of subjects including anthropology, arts and administration, English, and music, among other disciplines.
Required Courses (9-10 Credits)
- FLR 681 History and Theory of Folklore Research (5 credits)
- FLR 595 Folklore Fieldwork (4 credits) (or other fieldwork course approved by advising committee)
Interdisciplinary Folklore Core Courses (28 Credits)
Of these credits, 12 must be FLR credits.
In consultation with advising committee, students select courses from the following list that are relevant to their individual research foci and contribute to their academic and professional goals. Courses not listed in the catalog can be substituted with the authorization of students’ advisors and approval of the director of graduate studies.
- FLR 507 Seminar Video Production (5)
- FLR 511 Folklore and Religion (4)
- FLR 515 Folklore and Foodways (4)
- FLR 550 Folklore in the Public Sector (4)
- FLR 583 Folklore and Mythology of the British Isles (4)
- FLR 601 Research (1-6), P/NP only
- FLR 604 Internship (1-6), Graded or P/NP
- FLR 605 Reading (1-6), Graded only
- ANTH 511 Politics, Ethnicity, Nationalism (4)
- ANTH 519 Performance, Politics, and Folklore (4)
- ANTH 529 Jewish Folklore and Ethnology (4)
- ANTH 611 Ethnographic Research: Epistemology, Methods, Ethics (4)
- GER 625 Translations-Transformations: Fairy Tales on the Move (4)
- MUS 551 Introduction to Ethnomusicology (4)
- MUS 552 Musical Instruments of the World (4)
- MUS 562 Popular Music in the African Diaspora (4)
- PPPM 573 Cultural Programming (4)
- PPPM 571 Cultural Policy (4)
Electives (16 Credits)
These electives (either within folklore and public culture core or outside) are selected in consultation with students’ advising committees to bolster areas of student expertise. Terminal project credits and courses in language and the composition teaching program DO NOT count as electives.
Thesis/Terminal Project (9 Credits)
The thesis/terminal project requires a minimum of nine FLR (503 or 609) credit hours. The number of thesis/terminal project hours that a candidate may complete has no maximum, although only nine credit hours will be counted toward the degree. All students must complete at least one thesis or terminal project credit in the term they graduate.
NOTE: At least 9 credits must be completed at the 600 level. A maximum of 6 credits (other than FLR 503 or 609) can be pass/no pass. A maximum of 15 credits can be 600-level open-ended courses, e.g., research, reading, internship. Students can take unlimited internship credits; however, FLR 604 credits do not count as “Interdisciplinary Folklore and Public Culture core courses,” and a maximum of 4 FLR 604 credits can count as electives.
Language Requirement for the MA Degree
The master of arts degree requires the satisfactory completion of a second-year level of proficiency in a second language, as required for the bachelor of arts degree (see Language Satisfying Courses for details). Competency may be demonstrated by either a standardized test or with adequate undergraduate course work. Language competence must be demonstrated within the overall seven-year limit for completion of a master’s degree.
If you are pursuing a master of science degree, you are not required to demonstrate foreign language proficiency.
Public Folklore Track (63 Credits)
The program focuses on building scholarly fundamentals of folklore and establishing relationships within the folklore field.
Required Courses (18 Credits)
- FLR 550 Folklore in the Public Sector (4 credits)
- FLR 681 History and Theory of Folklore Research (5 credits)
- FLR 595 Folklore Fieldwork (4) (or other fieldwork course approved by advising committee)
- PPPM 573 Cultural Programming (4)
Interdisciplinary Folklore Core Courses (20 Credits)
Students may substitute other courses not listed to fulfill requirements with the approval of their advising committee and approval of the director of graduate studies.
- FLR 507 Seminar Video Production (5)
- FLR 511 Folklore and Religion (4)
- FLR 515 Folklore and Foodways (4)
- FLR 583 Folklore and Mythology of the British Isles (4)
- FLR 601 Research (1-6), P/NP only
- FLR 604 Internship (1-6), Graded or P/NP
- FLR 605 Reading (1-6), Graded only
- ANTH 511 Politics, Ethnicity, Nationalism (4)
- ANTH 519 Performance, Politics, and Folklore (4)
- ANTH 529 Jewish Folklore and Ethnology (4)
- ANTH 529 Jewish Folklore and Ethnology (4)
- ANTH 611 Ethnographic Research: Epistemology, Methods, Ethics (4)
- GER 625 Translations-Transformations: Fairy Tales on the Move (4)
- MUS 551 Introduction to Ethnomusicology (4)
- MUS 552 Musical Instruments of the World (4)
- MUS 562 Popular Music in the African Diaspora (4)
- PPPM 571 Cultural Policy
Electives (12 Credits)
These electives, (either within Folklore and Public Culture core or outside) selected in consultation with advisors should bolster students’ specializations. Terminal project credits and courses in language and the composition teaching program DO NOT count as electives.
Internship (4 Credits/120 Clock Hours at Site)
Folklore and public culture related internships organized through the Folklore and Public Culture Program or Oregon Folklife Network.
Thesis/Terminal Project (9 Credits)
The thesis/terminal project requires a minimum of nine FLR (503 or 609) credit hours. The number of thesis/terminal project hours that a candidate may complete has no maximum, although only nine credit hours will be counted toward the degree. All students must complete at least 1 thesis or terminal project credit in the term they graduate.
NOTE: At least 9 credits must be completed at the 600 level. A maximum of 6 credits (other than FLR 503 or 609) can be pass/no pass. A maximum of 15 credits can be 600-level open-ended courses, e.g., research, reading, internship. The four required internship credits do not fulfill course requirements. Students can take unlimited internship credits over and above the internship requirement; however, FLR 604 credits do not count as “Interdisciplinary folklore core courses,” and a maximum of 4 FLR 604 credits over and above the internship requirement for track two can count as “Electives.”
Language Requirement for the MA Degree
The master of arts degree requires the satisfactory completion of a second-year level of proficiency in a second language, as required for the bachelor of arts degree (see Language Satisfying Courses for details). Competency may be demonstrated by either a standardized test or with adequate undergraduate course work. Language competence must be demonstrated within the overall seven-year limit for completion of a master’s degree.
If you are pursuing a master of science degree, you are not required to demonstrate foreign language proficiency.
Additional Courses
Consult the UO Class Schedule each term for special offerings that fulfill degree requirements. Other graduate courses with related subject matter may be applied to the folklore and public culture master’s program by arrangement with the instructors and student advisors and approval of the director of graduate studies.
Please reference the UO Course Catalog, and the UO Class Schedule for course descriptions and availability. In addition to FLR classes, our affiliated professors offer several approved courses covering a variety of topics in folklore and public culture.
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